Dinesh Karthik handpicks three Tests where Bumrah can spearhead India's pace attack in England

London [UK], June 17 (ANI): Former wicketkeeper batter Dinesh Karthik expects India to utilise pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah's limited availability for the first, second and fourth Tests in England, considering the gap between those contests offers enough break for his body to recover.

During the announcement of India's squad for the upcoming Test tour of England, chief selector Ajit Agarkar confirmed Bumrah was advised not to contest in consecutive Tests as part of his workload management. The precaution around Bumrah's usage stems from a stress reaction in the back during the fifth Test against Australia in Sydney in January.

He missed India's victory campaign in the Champions Trophy and returned to action for the Mumbai Indians in the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL). During the pre-departure press conference, head coach Gautam Gambhir confirmed that they have yet to take a call on which Tests India will field Bumrah in the playing XI.

Former cricketers have speculated about the best possible use of the 31-year-old, and Karthik sees Headingley, Edgbaston, and Manchester as the ideal venues to put Bumrah in the thick of the action.

India will enjoy more than a week's gap between those Tests, allowing Bumrah enough break to regain his fitness before spearheading the pace attack with the Dukes in his hand.

"I have a feeling from hearing whatever I heard that he has been played to play three Test matches. But I have a feeling he will play one, two, and four. These are the numbers that I look at because these are the Tests enough and more breaks," Karthik said on the Sky Sports podcast.

"When you go to the fourth Test, if you are 2-1 behind or 1-2 ahead, whatever it could be, I wouldn't be surprised if the fifth Test becomes a bit of a request to him, saying, please, can you think about it," he added.

In his previous assignments in England, he boasted 37 scalps in nine appearances at 26.27 while maintaining an economy of 2.72 and striking at 57.8.

India Squad: Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (vc, wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudarshan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav. (ANI)

(The story has come from a syndicated feed and has not been edited by the Tribune Staff.)